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CHAPTER 1 – CHANGES
I blinked my eyes several times before I could see the alarm clock clearly. Five fifty-seven. I cursed under my breath. Outside, a few fragments of moonlight illuminated the Pacific Ocean, while the sun prepared to wage its daily war with the moon. I tip toed into the kitchen, careful not to wake my mother, and grabbed a bowl of cereal. I didn't have to be up until seven, but I wanted a chance to enjoy one last California sunrise before I left. I mowed down my cereal, set the bowl on the counter, and slid out the sliding glass patio door.
Two years ago my mom married Phil Thompson, the owner of a successful Los Angeles based semiconductor company. Last summer they'd bought a vacation house on Venice Beach. I'd spent the past three months staying in the house, working part-time at a surf shop to save money for my upcoming freshman year of college. I'd had many wild nights in this house, most of them involving vodka gimlets and a surfer I'd met named Mike Newton. Last week Mike returned to USC. Today I was leaving for the University of Washington.
I walked out onto the beach and closed my eyes. I lifted my head to the sky and inhaled the salty air. I sat down and dug my toes in to the sand, trying to remember what it felt like, to engrave every last detail in the back of my mind. This would always be my happy place.
An hour later the sun was up and I needed to get ready. I jogged back inside, took a quick shower, and packed up the last of my belongings. Renee was in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee when I emerged from my room.
"All packed?" For the past few months, being around my mother was nearly intolerable. She didn't say much to me and she never looked me in the eye. I knew she was upset about my leaving, but that was no reason to treat me like I didn't exist.
"You know you don't have to take me to the airport. I can catch a cab."
"Isabella, please, don't be childish. Of course I'm taking you to the airport. It's the last time I'll see you for who knows how long."
"Gee, you've been childish for the past two months. Dealing with me for another hour shouldn't be too difficult." Renee rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse off the counter. I lugged my suitcases outside and tossed them in the back of her new BMW. I scoffed and resisted the urge to kick the bumper.
Before Phil, my mom didn't even know what a BMW was. Designer purses and clothing and big houses were unfamiliar territory for her. Now she was so obsessed with status it made me want to throw up.
"I still don't understand why you want to move to Seattle. You never liked Washington before. There's so many good schools you could go to here, and Phil would let you live in the beach house." Thank God LAX isn't far from here, I thought. I rolled down the window and lit a cigarette. Before Mike Newton, I hadn't smoked. There were a lot of things I hadn't done before Mike Newton.
"I wouldn't expect you to understand, Renee. Honestly, I don't even care if you understand. What matters to me is my happiness, and being in Seattle close to dad is what will make me happy right now." I took a long drag off my cigarette and blew the smoke in Renee's direction. She hated that I smoked, especially when I did it in her precious BMW. I was never outright disrespectful towards my mother until she married Phil. Now I wanted to grasp on to every last opportunity I had to insult, enrage, and humiliate her before I left for good.
Renee was saved by the airport, however.
"Phil is sending you a ticket to come home for Thanksgiving. Peter and his family will be in town and so will Grandma Jane. It would mean a lot to them if you were there."
"I'll see what Charlie has planned and let you know." My mom wrapped her arms around me in a stiff, awkward embrace. I gave her a quick squeeze in return before bolting inside the airport. I could feel the tears starting to well in my eyes and I blinked them back with a strong fury. I probably should have said
"I love you" or "I'll miss you" or "Take care," but I couldn't get the words out. Maybe I'd call her in a few weeks once I got settled in. Or maybe I wouldn't. Only time would tell. I took my seat on the plane, closed my eyes, and wondered what changes Seattle would bring.
Three hours later I was sitting in the front of my dad's pick up. He'd been kind enough to leave the police cruiser at home, understanding for the first time in eighteen years how embarrassing it is for me to ride in. Charlie is the chief of police in a small town called Forks. It's about three hours West of Seattle, nestled comfortably between the Pacific and Olympic National Park. Forks is your stereotypical small-town: everybody knows their neighbors, the butcher has his customer's preferences memorized, and nobody has any secrets. It's a perfect place for Charlie. When he isn't busy investigating who put a stink bomb in Mr. Smith's trash can (true story, thank you very much!), he's out on the lake fishing or off on a hunting trip with one of his buddies. I was born in Forks, but my parent's marriage crumbled soon after and my mom took me with her. We lived in Dallas with her parents until I was eight, headed to Phoenix until I was sixteen, and then it was off to Los Angeles with Phil. I'd spent several summers with my dad, but because I was only there for nine weeks out of the year, I never had a chance to make any real friends. Renee assumed I hated the place when I stopped vacationing there. In reality, I hated myself for taking up Charlie's time and for being too shy to get out and socialize.
"Are you nervous?" Charlie was the first person to ask me that question.
I felt the air leave my lungs in a big whoosh. "Of course." I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath. "I'm mostly nervous about my roommate. They gave me her name and contact information, but I never got a chance to call or write to her. Come to think of it, she never called or wrote to me either. I just hope it's not some cheerleader, sorority girl type. I don't think I could handle a pep rally in my room every morning."
The corners of Charlie's eyes crinkled up in his familiar smile. "You're a chip off the old block, kid!"
He eased the pickup into a temporary parking spot outside of Terry Hall. The trip seemed oddly sort, probably due to my building anxiety.
The sidewalk was full of freshmen and their parents. A few upperclassmen were scattered about, wearing Purple UW t-shirts and nametags that designated them as "Campus Helpers." As I drug my suitcase out of the back I began to wonder if this was such a good idea after all.
"Can I help you find your way?" A red headed campus helper picked us out in the crowd. We must have looked exceptionally lost or something.
"I think we can manage." Charlie followed me inside to the elevators. One cramped elevator and a noisy hallway later I was standing in the doorway of my new home.
"I'm impressed Bell! This is pretty nice!" Charlie poked his head around the corner, surveying the room. It was relatively large for a dorm. There were two identical full-sized beds pushed up against opposing walls. Two brand new computer desks sat side-by-side between the beds. Each side of the room had a small closet and a vanity. There were two matching dressers at the foot of each bed, and a small couch and table set up in the middle of the room.
My roommate appeared out of nowhere. "You must be Isabella!"
"Bella." I managed to spit out.
"It's so good to finally meet you! I'm Alice Cullen!" She stepped forward and gave me an awkward embrace. Alice was a small girl, barely meeting my 5'6" frame. She was slender with short, spiky brown hair and sparkling gold colored eyes. Her skin was a beautiful pale white color – A Washington native, no doubt. There was no question, Alice was the most beautiful girl on our floor. In fact, she was probably the most beautiful girl in the entire dorm.
"I'm Charlie Swan, Bella's father." My dad stuck his hand out and Alice shook it. She walked – well, more like floated across the room and perched herself on the edge of her bed. I followed suit, setting my suitcases on the floor beside me.
"Are you from Washington?" Alice was giving me the one over. I suddenly felt very inadequate. I wasn't an unattractive girl – at least not to sexy surfer dudes like Mike Newton – but I was nothing compared to my roommate. I'm thin, but not at all athletic. My hair is dark brown, thick, and uncontrollable, hanging in lose ringlets almost to my waist. My eyes are a flat brown color, with nothing spectacular about them. Alice was dressed like she'd just stepped off a runway – A black mini skirt, a boat neck top with various oddly shaped pieces of color scattered about it, and a pair of Jimmy Choo wedge sandals. Her makeup was perfect, right down to the delicate French manicure that decorated her toenails.
"I'm from Los Angeles." I picked nervously at my chipped nail polish. One thing I'd never been was outgoing. I could tell right away that my roommate was.
"Bell, I need to get on the road." Charlie set my other suitcase on the bed next to me and kissed my forehead. "I'm parked in a limited time zone and I'll be late to meet the guys for poker."
"Okay. Thanks for the ride dad! I'll be out to see you soon." I gave Charlie a small smile and a half wave. Truthfully, transportation was one of the many concerns I had regarding college. I didn't have my own car, and I certainly didn't expect Charlie to have one for me. I didn't even know if freshmen were allowed to keep cars on campus. I'd probably end up having to use my savings to buy something. I silently cursed myself for not thinking of this sooner. Charlie would have to pick me up and drive me to Forks. Unless there was a bus service that could get me there.
"Take care of my Bella. It was nice to meet you Alice." Charlie turned and walked out the door, leaving me all alone in what was quickly becoming my biggest nightmare.
"I was just about to go over to my brother's apartment to watch a movie and hang out. Would you like to come with?"
"I should probably unpack. And I'm starving – I haven't eaten since I left L.A. this morning." My stomach growled as if to support my claim.
"Don't worry, I can help you unpack when we get back. And we can grab something to eat on the way." I thought about it. Even though it had never been my cup of tea, meeting new people couldn't hurt. Besides, I didn't really want to spend my first night in Seattle alone and moping in my dorm room.
"Let me freshen up here and we can go." While I dug through my largest suitcase in search of my toiletries bag and a fresh shirt, Alice talked excitedly about her family. From what I gathered, she had two brothers; Emmett was 21 and lived in an apartment just off campus with his girlfriend, Rosalie. Edward was 20 and lived in Hansee Hall. Alice also had a boyfriend, Jasper, who was 19 and coincidentally lived with Edward. While I brushed my teeth and debated whether to wear a long-sleeved shirt or bring a sweater with me, Alice wrote down her cell phone number and class schedule for me. I made a mental note to look it over later and see if we had any of the same courses.
"Here, put this on." Alice handed me a deep blue cardigan from her closet, which was already organized and filled with clothing. I slipped my feet in to my favorite pair of Converse sneakers and grabbed my purse from the bed.
"All set?" I nodded, following Alice to the street. A cool burst of air slapped my face when we were outside. I shivered in Alice's cardigan. Moments later I was seated in a silver Mercedes convertible. My thoughts stayed on the night ahead of me as the lights of Seattle whizzed by.
A half hour later I found myself standing outside of Emmet Cullen's apartment. Alice was nice enough to stop at Jimmy John's for me. She wasn't hungry. I, on the other hand, ordered enough food for the both of us.
Alice pushed the door open and stepped inside. "Knock, knock."
"Alice!" A big buy I assumed was Emmett ran across the room and picked Alice up in a giant hug. I hung back outside the door; Partly to avoid being mauled and partly because I was nervous.
"This is Bella Swan. Bella, this is my brother Emmett."
Emmett was huge – He had to be at least 6'5". He was muscular with short, dark hair. He had the same gold eyes and pale white skin as Alice. His outfit was clean, pressed, and obviously expensive.
"Nice to meet you!" I automatically stuck my hand out. Emmett saw this as an open invitation to pick me up in a hug as well.
"Bella is my roommate." Alice explained. "I'm guessing she'll be around a lot this year."
"Well Bella, the door is always open here. This place is the local Cullen hangout." I followed Alice across the room and took a seat next to her on the sofa. An old black and white movie played on the TV with the sound muted. The coffee table was covered with an array of textbooks, writing instruments, and art supplies.
"Where's Rose?" Alice looked up from the fashion magazine she was flipping through.
"She's at work. I guess the bar is pretty busy tonight." Emmett read the confusion on my face. "Rosalie is my girlfriend. She's a bartender at Hopps, one of the campus bars."
I gestured to the medical books on the table. "Are you pre-med?"
"Oh yeah. My dad is a doctor at the hospital back home. I guess I'm kind of like the child prodigy of the family." Alice picked up a pillow and tossed it at Emmett's head.
"What kind of movies do you like Bella?" Emmett was crouched in front of the TV, shuffling through a pile of DVDs.
"Um, well, anything really I guess. I'm big into the classics, but of course none of my friends back home ever wanted to watch them."
"Well you're in luck! Classics are a favorite of the Cullen clan!" Emmett pulled a DVD from the stack and held it up. "How about Casablanca?"
I smiled and gave him thumbs up. I felt comfortable with the Cullens. It was like I'd known them for years instead of only a few hours.
"Bella, catch!" I looked up in time to see Emmett throw a can of something at me. I didn't catch it, of course, and it slammed into the wall before falling to the floor.
"I guess I forgot to mention that I suffer from extreme clumsiness." I grabbed the can, tiptoeing around the couch so I wouldn't trip.
"Miller Lite alright with you?" I'd never been much of a drinker before I met Mike Newton this past summer. Even then we usually only drank hard liquor.
"I'm more of a vodka kind of gal but this will do!" Before I could pop the top Alice had grabbed the can and whisked it back to the kitchen.
"Beer? Really Emmett?" In what seemed like a matter of seconds Alice returned to the living room with two martinis in hand. "Don't worry, they're vodka, not gin."
"Don't worry, they're vodka, not gin." Emmett mocked Alice, who rolled her eyes in disinterest.
"Men don't understand the delicacy of the cocktail. We'll have to go to Hopps one night Bella. Rose mixes the best martinis in Seattle."
"How do you get in to Hopps? You're only 18 like me, right?" I guess Mike Newton hadn't stripped me of all my prude ways. Emmett started hooting with laughter.
"Emmett! I didn't bring her over here so you could make fun of her!" Alice shot a glare at him and he put his hands up in the air, admitting defeat and retreating down the hall to what I assumed was his and
Rosalie's bedroom. Alice grabbed her purse and handed me her wallet.
"Fake IDs." I pulled the plastic card out, examining it carefully. It didn't look fake. The picture was real and all the information was real. The only thing that was forged was the birth date, which made Alice freshly 21.
"Wow, where did you get this?" I immediately felt the blush creep into my cheeks. "I mean is there any way I could get one?" Emmett's laughter echoed down the hallway.
"Don't worry, I've only had this for two weeks. I was pretty well-behaved in high school too." Alice tossed her wallet back into her purse. "I know somebody over in Everett who can make you one. He charges two hundred bucks, but as you can see it's good quality. I've never once had anybody get suspicious with me."
"Sweet. I'd like one."
"He can probably have it for you before the end of the week." A smile danced on Alice's lips. "If he does, we should go shopping and then have a girl's night at Hopps. Rosalie loves to get away from Emmett sometimes. And her co-workers can hook us up with free drinks!"
"That sounds cool." I couldn't help but smile. College wasn't turning out to be so bad after all.
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